DON'T BE A COMPLAINER

Transcription

1 DON'T BE A COMPLAINER 17 Scripture to Study: Central Truth; Memory Verse: God's Animal: Exodus 15:22-17:7 Control your tongue, and don't complain. Psalm 150:1, "Praise ye the Lord.'' The Rabbit Supplementary Lesson: Story - "It Pays To Praise" Additional Supplementary Lesson: Puppet Skit - ''Praise Is The Answer" Visual Aids: Israelites (206, 230), Moses (260), Rock (261), Quail (263), Manna (264) Outline: I..As the Israelites journeyed to the Promised Land, Moses led them through a dry wilderness. A. God was stiu well-able to care for them. B. God is always bigger than any situation we are in. 11. The Israelites complained because they had little food. A. They weren't convinced that God would supply their food. l. They forgot the many times before when God had supplied their needs. (Bri.efly mention. the deliverance from Egypt, the cloud by day and fire by night, and the waters of Marah.) 2. Never forget the times God has delivered you. B. Although the Israelites complained to Moses> their real rebellion was against God. III. God supplied the people with food. A. Manna would fall on the ground before dawn and the Israelites gathered it every morning. B In the evenings, quail flew into the camp, and provided supper for the Israelites. 203

2 IV. The Israelites continued to complain. A. AB the Lord led the people to Reph.idim, they became very thirsty and began to gripe. B. The people were ready to stone Moses because there was no water. 1. How quickly they forgot God. 2. God hates complaining. C. God told Moses to go to a large rock in Horeb and to hit it with his rod. 1. Moses did what God told him to do. 2. Water gushed from the rock. D. God provided in spite of the people's complaining. 1. We should show self control by keeping ourselves from complaining and by being thankful to God for what He has done. 2. When things look bad, we should praise God by faith. He will turn our circumstances around if we will only trust Him. 204

3 GOD'S ANIMAL THE RABBIT God's animal the rabbit is a soft, furry animal with a short, fluffy tail. These fuzzy creatures are sometimes called bunnies, and they make very good pets. 17 Many of the animals we call rabbits, such as the jackrabbit and snowshoe rabbit, are actually hares. There are several differences between hares and rabbits. Hares are larger and heavier and have longer ears than rabbits. With their longer hind legs and bigger hind feet, hares can out jump any rabbit and run much farther. Many bares turn white in the winter, but all rabbits keep the same-colored coat year-round. Both rabbits and hares have been given a special gift from God to detect their enemies. Their long ears are very sensitive. When rabbits are resting, their ears lie flat along their backs. But when they hear the slightest sound, their ears stand straight up, waving back and forth, trying to locate danger. Mr. Rabbit's sensitive ears remind us of something very important. We should be careful what we say, because God has very sensitive ears> too. A lot of Christians think that they can get away with complaining because God doesn't hea,r them. But that's not true. God hears everything we say whether it's good or bad. Mr. Rabbit thumps his foot on the ground to warn other rabbits when he hears danger. The Bible gives us a wanring not to complain about our circumstances. When we disobey the Bible and complain, we are opening a door to the devil to bring danger into our lives. When a wild jackrabbit hears an enemy, he can jump up to 20 feet in one bound to run away. When we are tempted to complain, we can run away from our enemy by praising the Lord instead. When we praise the Lord, the devil can't catch us. If we keep a sweet spirit and praise the Lord for the answer to our problems, God can work in our lives, and our enemy, the devil, will be defeated. 205

4 STORY IT PAYS TO PRAISE 17 'TU bet I'm the only kid in this whole school who doesn't have my own remote control car," grumbled Jamie. "It's just not fair." The more he thought about it the angrier he became. He gave the stone he'd been kicking along in front of him a final jab. "Ouch," he yelled as he stubbed his toe, "you dumb rock. Everything is going wrong, just everything!" Jamie slammed through the front door and threw his books down on the entry hall table. His mother looked up from her sewing, "Hi, Jamie. How was your day?" ''My day? It was the worst, most rotten and horrible day of my whole life, that's how my day was," be said, "Son, let's go to the kitchen. rn make some hot chocolate while you tell me all about it." Jamie told his mom all about how unfair it was that he was probably the only kid in the whole school who didn't have a remote control car. The more Jamie complained, the worse it got. Before he finished, just about everything in his life was wrong. "I think I see your problem, son,'' Mom said, when Jamie finally stopped talking. "Yeah, so do I,'' Jamie replied. "I need a remote control car." "No, son, you need to stop complaining. The more you complain the more unhappy you become until even the good things that you do own start to look had. But we can fix that," said his mom. "We can?" asked Jamie. "Sure, it's easy." Mom reached for her Bible. "It says right here in Psalms 150:1, 'Praise ye the Lord.' That's God's answer for complaining. fnstead of complaining that you don't have a remote control car, start praising God that you do have one by faith!" Jamie snorted. "That sounds silly! How can you praise God for something you don't even have?" ''Jamie, have you ever asked God for a remote control car?" his mother asked. "Well no," he answered. "Don't you think that your complaining about not having the car must sound a little silly to God when you haven't even asked Him for one yet?" Mom continued. "Gosh, Mom," Jamie exclaimed, "I never thought of it that way." 206

5 Jamie prayed with his mom. First, he asked God to forgive him for being a complainer and he promised to become a praiser. Then he asked for a remote control car and told God, "Thank You." After they had prayed, Jamie smiled. "Thanks, Mom, I feel a lot better." "Jamie, you will always find that praise fills you with joy, but complaining fills you with bitterness." Mom smiled back, and gave Jamie a hug. 'Tm always going to be a praiser from now on. I know something else, too. I'm glad you're my mom. You're the greatest," Jamie said. Jamie kept his word to God. He began to praise God every day. He didn't complain even once about not having a remote control car. One Friday evening, Dad arrived home from work a little later than usual. He stuck his head in the front door and called, ''Hey, Jamie, can you give me a hand here?" ''Sure, Dad, I'll be right there." Jamie figured that Dad bad to bring home a bunch of paper work from the office and needed a little help carrying it in. Sure enough, there was the box in Dad's trunk. "Carry that in for me, will?" you, son. "Sure, Dad. Looks like you have a lot of work to do," Jamie said. "Oh, it's not as bad as it looks," Dad said, trying to hide a smile. When they got to the living room, Dad instructed Jamie to put the box down on the couch and open it. Jamie opened the box, and inside was the most beautiful remote control car he'd ever seen. "Wow, Dad, this mubt have cost a fortwie!" Dad shook his head. "Actually, son, it didn't cost me anything." "You're kidding!" Jamie exclaimed. "No," Dad said as he took some batteries from his pocket and put them in the remote control. "You see my boss' son just had a birthday and he was given two cars that were exactly the same. So, my boss thought that you might like to have one." "Wow! He was right about that!'' Jamie took the remote control from his dad and held it carefully with both hands. "Thanks, Dad." Then he paused for a minute and looked up. "And thank You, too, Father God." {

6 PUPPET SKIT PRAISE IS THE ANSWER 17 CHARACTERS: Power Pup, Teacher POWER PUP: POWER PUP: POWER PUP: POWER PUP: POWER PUP: POWER PUP: POWER PUP: POWER PUP: POWER PUP: POWER PUP: It's just not right! I don't like it one bit. What's wrong, Power Pup? Why are you so upset? I'm upset about that a-wful dog food they make me eat. If my master had to eat that stuff, he'd change brands in a hurry. Now wait a minute. You're not doing the right thing by complaining. Well, I have a good reason to complain. You may have a reason to complain, but that still doesn't make it right. What do you mean. Teacher? Power Pup, everybody has things happen that they aren't happy about, but complaining won't change the problems; it only makes them worse. My dog food couldn't get any worse! You can complain and gripe all you want, but it won't get you any new dog food. But I've tried being nice and it doesn't work. Complaining is not the answer. There's a better way. Well, I want to know what it is. I don't want another bite of that awful dog food. Why don't you praise the Lord? Why should I praise the Lord for that terrible dog food? Don't praise God for the bad food, just thank Him for the answer and the kind of food that you want. Well, I want some dog food with meat in it. I don't want any more of that crunchy kind. Then praise the Lord for meaty dog food. Just don't be a complainer. All right, I'm going to do that. Instead of complaining, I'm going to praise God. See you later, Teacher. 208 {_

7 POWER PUP: POWER PUP: POWER PUP: POWER PUP: (Power Pup leaves.) Boys and girls, when something happens to you that you don't like, no matter what, don't complain. Praise the Lord for the answer instead. (Power Pup re-enters.) You're right! You're right! It doesn't help to complain, but it does pay to praise God. I went home and praised God for meaty dog food. So what happened? My master bought me the kind I like the most. Praising God works. It doesn't do any good to gripe. I'm glad you told me not to be a griper. I'm glad you listened to what I said. Me, too! 209

8 THE TEN COMMANDMENTS Scripture to Study: Exodus 19 and 20 1 Central Truth: Memory Verse: God's Animal: If we love God, we should obey His Word. John 14:15, "If you love me, keep my commandments." The Skunk Supplementary Lesson: Story - "Barney Banana" Additional Supplementary Lesson: Puppet Skit - "Darlin' Learns How To Love God" Visual Aids: Ten Commandments (1), Moses (4), Israelites (5), Jesus (16), Finger of God (46) Outline: I. God had a special people called the Israelites. A. The Israelites had lived for many years in a land called Egypt, where they were slaves. 1. Slaves are people who are forced by others to work very hard for no money. 2. The Egyptians were cruel to the Israelites. Sometimes they would even beat them with whips! B. God did not like the way His people were being treated. He had something much better for them. C. God chose a man named Moses to lead the Israelites away from Egypt. 1. Moses was not a special person; he was just willing to obey God. 2. If you are willing to obey God, He will be able to use you, too. D. With Moses as their leader, the Israelites began their long journey to a special land that God had prepared for them. 1. God has a special place for you, too. 2. If you wili follow His Word, God can lead you into His will for you. 1

9 II. God gave the Israelites an important message. A. As the Israelites continued on their long journey, they came to a big mountain called Sinai. B. God told Moses to come to the top of the mountain because God had something important to give him. C. On the mountain top, God gave Moses the Ten Commandments. 1. The Ten Commandments were rules to help the people know right from wrong. 2 Because Jesus had not yet died, the Israelites had to have these rules as a guide to show them how to live. 3. God used His finger and wrote the Ten Commandments on tablets of stone. D. Some of these rules were: 1. Do not worship idols. 2. Honor (obey) your father and mother. 3. Do not steal. 4. Do not tell lies about your neighbor. III. God has given us a special message, too. A. Because Jesus came, we no longer need the Ten Commandments to teach us right from wrong. 1. Unlike the Israelites, we have Jesus living inside our hearts. 2. If we do wrong, our spirits immediately tell us so we can ask forgiveness. B. Jesus gave us two rules that are even better than the Ten Commandments. They are: 1. You should love God with all your heart, all your body, and all your mind. 2. You should love your neighbor just as much as you love yourself. C. If you are always careful to walk in love and follow the two things Jesus said to do, you will automatically keep all of the Ten Commandments. 1. If you love God, you won't worship idols. 2. If you love your neighbor, you won't steal from him or lie to him. 2

10 GOD'S ANIMAL THE SKUNK 1 Hold your nose! We're going to talk about the smelliest animal in all the world - the skunk. In spite of their awful odor, skunks are very pretty animals with beautiful fur. They are black and have white stripes on their backs. They live in underground holes or inside hollow logs. Skunks usually stay hidden in the daytime, but they come out to eat at night. Skunks cannot run fast and they cannot fight, so the only protection they have is their smell. The skunk has a small bag in his tail that sprays fluid on its enemies. Most animals get sick when a skunk sprays them because the smell is so bad. Don't be a spiritual skunk! Disobeying your parents will cause you to put off a bad spiritual smell. You may be very pretty, but the way you act will stink! The way we obey our mothers and fathers is very important. God expects us to listen to our parents and to do as they say. We should obey them even when we don't want to. Children who are always disobeying are spiritual stinkers. What they do smells bad to God. God does not like to smell disobedience. It makes you unlovely to others. How can you obey? Just as the skunk's spray can make other animals sick, sin and disobedience can bring sickness by opening a door to the devil. Some children are continually sick because they never mind their parents. God's Word tells us to obey so it will be well with us. Don't be a spiritual skunk! 3

11 STORY BARNEY BANANA 1 MATERIALS: One large and one small banana, each with a boy's face Barney Banana was the oldest child in the Banana family. Mama and Papa Banana were very proud of Barney, and justly so, for he was very obedient. He helped keep his four brothers and four sisters from trouble. He very seldom ever got a spanking because he always did exactly what his mama and papa told him. Sometimes, keeping watch over the younger Banana children was difficult since there were eight of them - Becky, Bertha, Beverly, Beth, Billy, Bobby, Barry, and Benny. Papa Banana worked in a pudding factory just a few miles away from the family tree and was gone from early in the morning until lat e in the afternoon. Since Mama had to keep the leaves on the family tree looking nice and neat, Barney had to help keep an eye on his brothers and sisters. The children could play in their own tree, but they weren't allowed to get off for any reason. There was a tree full of monkeys nearby, and Papa Banana warned his children about going near it. "The monkeys are very fond oflittle, green bananas," cautioned Papa. "They will peel off your skin and eat you in one bite if you go near their tree!" All the Banana children kept Papa's words in their hearts - that is, all of them but Benny. Benny wasn't convinced that monkeys really ate Bananas. He thought that Papa was just trying to scare him and keep him in the family tree. One afternoon, Benny slipped away from Barney and the other children. Quietly, he scooted down the tr ee to the jungle floor. I'm going to visit the monkeys, he thought to himself. They're really not Banana-eaters. Back in the tree, Barney began washing the Banana children before their supper. Papa was due home soon, and Mama almost had the meal ready. "Benny is gone!" shouted Barney to his mother. Barney looked throughout the tree and couldn't find Benny anywhere. h. lfil.!" "Barney," said Mama Banana, "you must find Benny before the monkeys eat Barney rushed down the tree and ran as fast as a banana can run toward the tree of the monkeys. He had never seen the tree before, but he knew exactly where to look because he could hear the loud chatter of the monkeys. As he came closer to the sound, he could see Benny, there in the middle of the monkey tree! Benny was being jerked back and forth by two arguing monkeys, fighting to see which of them would get to eat him. Barney climbed carefully up the tree. No one noticed him, because all the monkeys were gazing at the two old monkeys who fought over Benny. 4

12 Then Barney had an idea. Since he was older and larger than Benny, he knew that the arguing monkeys would prefer him and perhaps drop Benny if they saw him. Bamey jumped up and yelled, "Hey, Monkey!" The old monkeys were startled at Barney's intrusion into their tree. They dropped Benny and started for his bigger, riper brother. When Benny hit the ground with a 'thud,' he picked himself up and ran home. The monkeys surrounded Barney in the tree. It looked as though he would be a monkey's meal in place of his brother. The two old monkeys reached for Barney. He quicklyjumped to the ground and ran for home, but the bigger, faster monkeys came right behind him. Barney knew of only one thing to do. He cried out to God, "Father God, help me in Jesus' Name!" The monkeys came even closer and Barney was exhausted from running so fast. Suddenly, a huge leopard jumped out from the bushes. The terrified monkeys turned and ran to their tree, the leopard chasing them all the way. Barney praised God for helping him and climbed up on top of his tree. He could hear Benny crying and praying that God would forg1ve him for disobeying and causing Barney to be eaten. All the Bananas were crying because they thought the monkeys had eaten Barney. ''I'm home!" shouted Barney. "God saved my life." The Banana family jumped for joy to see Barney safe and alive. Benny learned a valuable lesson that day - it is always best to obey! 5

13 PUPPET SKIT 1 DARLIN' LEARNS HOW TO LOVE GOD CHARACTERS: Darlin' Duck, Teacher Teacher, you've got to help me! I just don't know what to do! What's wrong, Darlin'? What do you need me to help you with? I heard a lesson last week about how Jesus said that we are to love God with all of our hearts. That's right, Darlin', that is one of the two great commandments that J esus gave us. But,vhat do you need me to help you with? Well, I want to show God that I love Him with all my heart. I'm sure that God is pleased to hear you say that. But Teacher, you don't understand. I don't know how to show God that I love Him. Well, Darlin', how do you think you can show God that you love Him? Well, one time I heard about someone who loved God and gave a lot of money to the church, but I'm just a duck. I don't have any money to give. Darlin', giving money to the church is a good thing to do, but it isn't the way that you show God how much you love Him. It isn't? No, it isn't. If you really want to show God that you love Him, there is one very important thing that you must do. Oh, I'll do anything, Teacher. I just want God to know that I love Him. Well, Darlin', you can tell God that you love Him, but the best way to show God that you love Him is to obey what He tells you to do. But I've never heard God speak out loud and tell me to do anything. No, Darlin', that's not what I meant. Sometimes God may speak to us out loud, but that's very rare. But there's one place that we can always find instructions from God - that's in the Bible. In the Bible? That's right. The Bible is called the Word of God because it tells us what God wants us to do in every situation. 6

14 Oh, I get it. God speaks to us through the Bible. Yes, that's right. And Jesus said that if_\ve loved Him, we would keep His commandments. That means that we will obey what the Word of God says. You mean, it's like obeying your parents when you obey the Word of God. That's right, Darlin'. If your mother tells you to clean up your toys and you do it, that shows your mother that you respect her and love her. If I want to show God that I love Him, I will do what He tells me to do in the Bible, like praise Him, treat other people right, and pray. You're a smart little duck, Darlin'. Thanks a lot, Teacher. Now I know exactly what to do and I'm going to go study the Bible so that I can obey what it says. 7

15 2 GOD GIVES LIFE TO A LITTLE BOY Scripture to Study: Central Truth: Memory Verse: God's Animal: II Kings 4:8-37 Children are precious to God. John 14:15, "If you love me, keep my commandments." The Kangaroo Supplementary Lesson: Puppet Skit - "The Boy Who Came Back" Additional Supplementary Lesson: Story - "Timmy's Prayer Is Heard" Visual Aids: Gehazi (3), Shunammite on donkey (7), Shunammite's son (8), Shunammite woman (9), Elisha (10) Outline: I. There was a rich woman in Shunem who had blessed Elisha. A. Elisha was a prophet of God. B. The rich woman was very kind to Elisha. She gave him food and m ade a room for him to stay in when he came by her way. 1. We should be kind to men who preach God's Word. 2. If you do not respect God's preachers, you won't be able to receive blessings from God. II. Because the rich woman had been a blessing to Elisha, God told Elisha to be a blessing to her. A. Elisha asked the woman what she would like to have most. B. The woman, who had no children, said she wanted to have a son. 1. All children are gifts from God. 2. Gifts ar.e supposed to bring joy. 3. How can you bring more joy to your parents? 13

16 C. Elisha told the woman that she would have her desire. D. Soon God gave the Shunamrnite woman a baby boy. 1. The baby made her life complete. 2. Because God loves you, He wants your joy to be full. III. Because God loves us, He also takes care of us. A. One day the woman's son became very sick. He had been outside in the field with his father. When the servants carried him in to his mother, the boy died. 1. Because the child was a gift from God, Satan wanted to steal him away from his family. 2. Satan does not like for God to bless us. He wants to steal God's blessings from us. B. The Shunammite woman quickly rode a donkey to find Elisha, the prophet. C. Elisha went to the room where the little boy lay. 1. He stretched himself upon the boy and prayed. The boy's skin became warm. 2. Once again Elisha stretched himself on the boy. This time the boy woke up, sneezing seven times. D. God loved the little boy so much, that He made him whole again. E. God loves you and wants you to be healthy and whole. 14

17 2 GOD'S ANIMAL THE KANGAROO Kangaroos are some of the world's most unusual creatures. They have big strong back legs and tiny front legs. Their powerful hind legs give them the ability to hop up to 25 feet. Some kangaroos have even hopped up to 40 feet- that's as long as two cars, parked end to end. Kangaroos belong to a special group of animals called marsupials. Marsupials have a special pouch on their stomach where babies can grow and develop. Baby kangaroos are not fully developed at birth. In fact they don't even appear to have hind legs. But they slowly crawl with their front legs up into the mother's pouch.. In the pouch, baby kangaroos grow and 1ide around, letting mom do all the work. Finally, after several months they come out of the pouch to get around for themselves. Baby kangaroos are called joeys. When a joey is completely grown, he stands about six feet tall, or the size of a grown man. Kangaroos live in groups ranging in number anywhere from twelve to fifty. These groups are called a mob. How would you like to have a mob of kangaroos living in your back yard? Kangaroo mothers take very good care of their young, and if they are ever threatened by dogs or other enemies, the kangaroo's powerful hind legs can be used as weapon s. They can easily kill attacking dogs. God cares for you much more than a mother kangaroo cares for her baby. When the baby kangaroo is in danger, he jumps inside his mother's pouch. When we have trouble, we should trust in God by jumping into his pouch- the pouch of His Word. Then we can hop right over our problems. 15

18 PUPPET SKIT THE BOY WHO CAME BACK 2 CHARACTERS: Darlin' Duck, Teacher Boys and girls, Darlin' Duck is corning to see us today. Quack, quack. Hi, kids. I have a wonderful story to tell you. Well, we want to hear it, don't we kids? Good. This happened a long time ago. I was visiting in Israel in a town called Shunem. Oh, the people we studied about today lived in that city. There was a little boy who used to feed me bread crumbs every day. What was his name? He never told me. And I never asked - eating his bread. I was always too busy You shouldn't be so selfish, Darlin'. When people give you something, you should at least remember their names and thank them. You'll do that, won't you children? Well, I guess I should have remembered the kid's name. He was always really nice to me. Did the boy know about the Lord? He sure did. His mother was always praying and singing and she took care of that preacher. Do you mean Elisha? That's the one. That's who we learned about in our lesson today. Well, I'm not through with my story, yet. Okay, finish it. One day the boy quit bringing me bread. When I found him, he was really sick with a bad headache. And he died, didn't he? How did you know? We read it in the Bible. Is this story in the Bible? 16

19 It sure is. Well, is my name in there? Does the Bible say anything about the little boy's pet duck? No, your name isn't in the story. Now, you tell the rest of your story. The little boy was carried to the preacher's room but the preacher wasn't there. So the boy's mother rode a donkey to go find the preacher. Where do little children go if they die? They go to Heaven. But God doesn't want little children to die. He wants them to grow up. Do all the grown-ups go to Heaven? Only if they have Jesus in their hearts. That's right. So what happened next? The woman brought the preacher back to pray for her little boy. And God brought the little boy back to life. Yes! God gives life - Amen! That's right. He doesn't kill people. Always remember, kids, God doesn't kill or hurt people. He gives life. Did you ever get anymore bread crumbs from the little boy again? Did I? He never missed another day of feeding me. That's a good story. I'll always remember it. So long, kids. Bye, Darlin'. 17

20 STORY TIMMY'S PRAYER IS HEARD Timmy lived on a big ranch in Texas. He loved to take his horse, Lightning, on long rides through the pastures - up and down he would go in the saddle. It was so much fun. Sometimes Timmy's dad would let him help round up the cattle. On those days, Timmy would get up extra early, eat a big breakfast, and be out getting Lightning ready for the big day before anyone else got up. Timmy was five years old. He went to Sunday School and Children's Church every Sunday. He listened with both ears to what the teach er told him. During the week, Timmy's mom and dad would teach him the Word of God and he would let that Word sink down into his spirit. Tim.my had asked God for a horse and that was how he had gotten Lightning. Lightning was a gift from Jesus. Timmy took good care of Lightning. He would always make sure that Lightning had plenty of water to drink and hay to eat. Sometimes, Timmy would reward Lightning with a sugar cube or even some corn. One morning Timmy went down to the corral to visit Lightning. Lightning usually ran up to the fence to meet Timmy, but on this morning, Lightning just lay in the corner of his stall. Timmy rushed inside to find out what was wrong with his horse. Timmy's father came and looked at Lightning. He examined Lightning carefully and then told Timmy some very sad news. Lightning had gotten into the corn and eaten so much, that he was sick. When horses get sick from eating too much corn, they do not get well - they die. Timmy was so brokenhearted. He went to his room and shut the door. He could not bear to think of losing Lightning. They were best friends. Suddenly, he had an idea. God could heal his horse! If God had given Lightning to Timmy, than God could make Lightning well again. Timmy prayed and asked God to heal Lightning. Every time he visited Lightning in the barn he would say, "Lightning, God has made you well." For several days, Lightning was still sick. He would h ang his head down and he couldn't run and play like he used to. But Timmy did not get discouraged. He just kept saying that God had made Lightning well. One morning, Timmy went down to the corral as usual. Just as he reached the fence, Lightning came running up to greet him. He wasn't sick anymore. He ran and pranced. He even took Timmy on a long ride. God had made Lightning well. Timmy thanked God for giving him Lightning and for making him better. He was so glad that he had continued to speak and believe God's Word even though it looked like Lightning would die. Lightning was well because Timmy didn't give up. 2 18

21 THE BABY THAT WAS MADE OF LOVE 3 Scripture to Study: Central Truth: Memory Verse: God's Animal: Luke 1:26-38, 2: 1-20 Jesus is God's gift oflove. John 3:16, "For God so loved the world, He gave His only Son." The Mouse Supplementary Lesson: Story - "Brindle's Gift'' Additional Supplementary Lesson: Visual Aids: Puppet Skit- "What Does Redeem Mean?" Baby Jesus (2), Manger (6), Joseph (11), Mary (12), Mary sitting (14) (use with donkey), Donkey (15), Gabriel (17), Sheep (18), Shepherd (27) Outline: I. Most of the Israelites did not even know what God was like. A. God is a good God and He does only good things (James 1:17). 1. God does not make people sick. 2. He does not kill people (John 10:10). 3. When God made us, He made us to be His friends. 4. Because of the sin in some people's hearts, they are not God's friends. B. God wanted to show men what He was really like so the Word of God became a baby, Jesus. 1. God sent Gabriel, the angel, to a virgin named Mary. She was a pure young woman who loved the Lord. 2. Gabriel told Mary that she would have a baby. 23

22 3. This baby was going to be God's Son. II. When the baby was born, Mary and her new husband, Joseph, knew that He was special. A. Mary and Joseph had to make a long journey. B. They went from their home in Nazareth to a town called Bethlehem. C. The only place Mary and Joseph could find to stay was in a barn. The inns were full. D. Mary had her baby in the stable and put Hirn in a manger (or a feed trough). 1. The baby was called Jesus. 2. Jesus means Saviour. 3. Mary's baby was the Word of God in a human body. God's Word becmne a man. III. This baby's birth was good news. A. The angels of God came to nearby shepherds and told them where to find the baby. 1. The shepherds came to the stable and worshipped baby Jesus. 2. The shepherds told everyone around Bethlehem about the angels and the baby. B. As Jesus grew and matured, He showed people what God is really like. 1. God sent His Son to change people's hearts. 2. Jesus forgives us when we do wrong. 3. He heals us when we get sick. 4. He is our Shepherd and He watches over us. C. Because God is love, Jesus showed the love of God. 24

23 GOD'S ANIMAL THE MOUSE Have you ever seen a mouse? He is a very tiny fellow with a long tail and whiskers. He is so small that he can crawl under your door or chew through ropes, plastic, and sometimes even wood. 3 Although Mr. Mouse is very small, he is always noticed. Your mother does not even want one mouse in the house! He doesn't take up a lot of room, but he isn't forgotten. You are like a mouse. You may be very small. You may not take up much space, but Someone is always looking after you. Father God thinks that you are very, very special. Even though you are only a child, you are still important to God. Father God counts the hairs on your head everyday! He knows everything about you. He knows when you wake up and go to sleep. He knows when you obey or disobey. Father God loves you with all His heart. Even though some people don't like mice, God still takes care of them. Mice always find something to eat and a place to live, and their fur is all the clothing they need. God takes care of us no matter how small we are, if we'll only trust Him. God gives only good gifts to His children. He never makes us sick or weak. He doesn't send bad things to us. His gifts are good and perfect. God is a good Father. Would your Daddy make you sick if he could? Would he try to hurt you? Well, God is better than the best earthly daddy. He wants good things for you. Mr. Mouse has big ears and he can hear very well. Your ears are for listening. It is good to listen closely to the Bible because that is one way God speaks to us. Be like a mouse and listen closely to your parents and your teacher, too. Mr. Mouse always has to be on the lookout for poison. If a mouse eats poison, he will die. There are other kinds of poison we should watch for. It is poison to throw a tantrum. It is poison to fight. It is poison to disobey your mother and father. Watch out for poison, Little Mouse! ~

24 STORY BRINDLE'S GIFT 3 One day, Brindle Bear and his big brother Arlis Bear were out playing in the meadow with their friends, Skippy and Scamper. Skippy and Scamper were bunnies who lived near the edge of the big meadow. Brindle loved to play with Skippy and Scamper, even though Scamper was a bit bossy. It seemed that Scamper thought he was smarter than Brindle just because he was older. Usually Brindle and Skippy wanted to play hide-and-seek, and Scamper always wanted to play tag. Scamper could run much faster then the others, so he never lost at tag. This day was no different. Scamper said that he wanted to play tag, and Skippy and Brindle wanted to play hide-and-seek. Arlis knew that he could run much faster than his younger brother, Brindle, so he voted to play tag, too. Brindle and Skippy knew that they would lose because they were younger, so they decided not to play tag at all. "If you don't want to play hide-and-seek, then you will have to find someone else to play with," they told Scamper and Arlis. Brindle and Skippy were going to have their own game, and no one was going to spoil their fun. "We're going to go play our own game," answered Scamper. So Brindle and Skippy went off to find a good spot for hide-and-seek. They played for quite a while and the sun was beginning to go down. For the last game, it was Skippy's turn to be "it." Skippy counted to twenty and hid his eyes while Brindle searched for a good hiding place. Just as Brindle had snuggled down behind a large tree that had fallen several months before, he heard Skippy yell, "Nineteen, twenty!" As Brindle waited for Skippy to leave home-base, something on the ground caught his eye. It was something shiny, and it was laying just out of Brindle's reach. Brindle squinted to see the object better, but he couldn't tell what it was. He forgot about the game of hide-and-seek and went out on the trail where the shiny object was. Just then, Skippy rushed over, pounced on Brindle, and cried, "You're it! I caught you!" Brindle pointed to the object. "What do you suppose it is?" he asked. Skippy forgot about the game. "I don't know," he said, "but it sure is pretty. Let's dig it up." The object had been almost completely covered with dirt, and there was only a little piece of it showing. When Brindle pulled it out, he could see that it was a very pretty necklace that must have been lost a long, long time ago. "Wow," said Skippy, admiring the shiny object. "You found a beautiful necklace. Aren't you lucky," he sighed. Brindle turned. "Here, Skippy. I want you to have it." 26

25 "Oh, no, I couldn't take it," Skippy said. "You found it. It belongs to you." "No," said Brindle. "I want you to have it. Besides, if you keep it, it will mean that we'll always be friends. You're very special to me, Skippy. You're my best friend." "Well, thank you, Brindle. You're my best friend, too. I'll always keep this necklace, and we'll always be the best of buddies. I'll put it up in my den, so even if we ever have a fight, it will remind me that we need to make-up quickly," said Skippy. Brindle and Skippy shook paws and hugged each other. Then, Brindle helped Skippy to slip the chain over Skippy's head, so he could wear it home. "Bye," said Skippy. "I have to go home now. And thanks." "Bye," said Brindle. "We'll be friends forever." TEACHER'S NOTE: The necklace is like God's gift of Jesus for us. Jesus is what ties man to God, and even when we sin, Jesus stays with us. When we ask for forgiveness, His blood cleanses us and puts us back in good standing with the Father God. 27

26 PUPPET SKIT WHAT DOES REDEEM MEAN? CHARACTERS: Darlin' Duck, Teacher 3 Today we're going to ask Darlin' Duck some questions about our lesson. Hi, Teacher. Hi, kids. Hello, Darlin'. Are you ready to answer some questions? Yes, Teacher. I like to answer questions. Good. Can you tell us the name of the little town where Jesus was born? That's easy. Jesus was born in a stable. Yes, that's right. But what was the name of the town? Uh-huh, er, let me think. Oh! I know. He was born in Ruthlehem. Bethlehem. Not Ruthlehem. I knew it was like a girl's name. Who was Jesus' mother? Mary! Who was Jesus' real father? God was! Do you know why God sent Jesus to this world? Yes, Teacher. He sent Jesus to heal people. That's not all, though. What else did He come to do? Jesus came to die on the cross. Yes. He had to do that so that He could redeem us. Redeem? What does redeem mean? Redeem means to buy back. Jesus came to buy us back. Well, if Jesus came to buy us back, who owned us before He did? The Bible says that we belonged to sin and Satan. But God made us - we should have belonged to Him! We did belong to God until Adam ate the fruit in the Garden of Eden. When he disobeyed God, he sold us to the devil

27 DARLJN' DUCK: But I don't want to belong to the devil. I don't like him. He gets kids to be mean. He puts sickness on people. I don't want to belong to him! Don't get excited. You have nothing to worry about. Jesus bought us back. We don't belong to sin anymore. Good! That was awfully nice of God to send little baby Jesus to buy us back. He must have had a lot of money. He didn't use money to buy us. Well, then, what did He use? Jesus had to die on the cross. That is what bought us back from sin. God must really love us a lot. That's why He gave us Jesus. I'm glad for Jesus aren't you, boys and girls? I've got to go now, Good-bye, Teacher. Good-bye, Darlin'. 29

28 JESUS LOVES THE CHILDREN 4 Scripture to Study: Central Truth: Memory Verse: God's Animal: Matthew 19:13-15; Mark 10:14 Jesus has time for children. Matthew 19: 14, "Let the little children come unto Me." The Zebra Supplementary Lesson: Puppet Skit - "You Are Important To God" Additional Supplementary Lesson: Story - "God Has Time For Sally" Visual Aids: Jesus (16), Children (22), Angel (26), Disciples (35), Mothers of children (use 31 and 42 if you wish) Outline: I. Jesus was with His disciples one day when some folks brought their children to Him. A. The people wanted Jesus to bless their children. B. Jesus' disciples wouldn't let the people bring the children to him. They didn't think Jesus was interested in them. 1. Jesus has time for children. 2. They are as important to Him as big folks! C. Jesus stopped His disciples. 1. He ordered them to let the children pass through and come to Him. 2. The Lord told His disciples that the kingdom of Heaven was full of children. D. Jesus laid His hands on the children and blessed them. IL God loves little children. A. Jesus said that children have guardian angels. 33

29 B. Guardian angels are always with children to protect them. C. God has time to listen to every child's prayer. 1. When we pray, we should expect the answer. 2. We pray to our Heavenly Father in Jesus' Name. III. When we ask Jesus to come into our hearts, we become God's children. A. God doesn't have any grandchildren. All He has are children. If our parents have J esus in their hearts, and we do not, it will not make us God's children. B. When Jesus comes into our hearts, the Holy Spirit makes us brand new on the inside. We become God's children. C. Once we have Jesus inside us, we must act like God's kids, not the devil's kids. D. If we do make a mistake or do something bad, we should pray and ask God to forgive us. 1. Jesus doesn't leave us when we sin, but we should ask the Father God to forgive us when we do something wrong. 2. God will always forgive us when we ask. 34

30 4 GOD'S ANIMAL THE ZEBRA Have you ever seen a horse with striped pajamas? Zebras look much like a horse with striped pajamas. Although zebras are not exactly like horses, they are members of the horse family. Zebras have hooves, legs, and bodies much like that of a horse. A zebra's neck is a little shorter than a horse's neck and his tail is like the tail of a donkey. Have you ever wondered about a zebra's stripes? Is he really black with white stripes, or white with black stripes? If you look closely, you will see that the zebra has no stripes on the inside of his legs or the underside of his belly. These areas are white, so the zebra is really white with black stripes. Zebras are hard to train. Although their bodies are much like horses, their personalities are much different. Although all zebras have stripes, no two zebras are exactly alike. Each set of stripes is different. Each zebra is a special creation of God. You, too, are a special creation of God. There is no one else in all the world who is exactly like you. Even your fingerprints are different from any one else's. No two people are exactly alike. That's one of the reasons God loves you. There's no one else on earth to fill your shoes. No one else can ever be you. That's why it's important to be yourself. Don't wish that you were someone else. Be you. God made you special. So give your life to Him and let Him help you find the reason that you are here. Learn a lesson from the zebra. Everyone is a unique and special creation from God. 35

31 PUPPET SKIT YOU ARE IMPORTANT TO GOD 4 CHARACTERS: Darlin' Duck, Teacher Boy, my_ life is dull. I'm just a nobody. I've never done anything special. I wouldn't say that, Darlin'. Oh, but you don't know how unimportant I am. I'm just a nobody. Nobody even listens to me when I talk. Well, we're listening to you right now. That's only because you're trying to be nice to me. Darlin, why are you so depressed? \Vhy are you so sad? I just feel like I don't amount to much. I'm just a nobody. Don't say you're a nobody, Darlin'. You're important. Me, important? What important thing have I ever done? Darlin', you've done something more important than being the President of the United States! Me? I've never done anything that important. Yes, you have. When you asked Jesus to come into your heart, you did something very important. But lots of people do that. I know lots of people do it, but it's still important. It's the most important thing you'll ever do, and it's important to God. Do you really think God knows me, Teacher? Sure, He does, Darlin'. He knows who you are. He knows how many hairs we have on our h eads. The Bible says so. I have lots of feathers on my head! Well, He knows all about you anyway, and you're very special to God. But, I'm just a little duckling. That doesn't matter. Children are very important to God, too. Don't you know what Jesus did? What did Jesus do? 36

32 . Jesus took time to lay hands on some children and bless them. What did He do that fo r? Because He knew that children are very important to God's kingdom. Children have a special place in God's heart. You mean we're all special whether we're big or small? That's right. God thinks we're all very special, and we're very important. Do you mean that I can do things for Jesus right now while I'm still little? Sure, you can do things for J esus even though you're small. Well, what can I do? It's very important for you to obey your parents. God thinks that's very important; obeying your parents is one of the rules of the Bible. Really? Obeying your parents is important to God? Of course it is. Telling others about Jesus is important, too. I've done that before. I told my friends about Jesus just the other day. See, Darlin'. You've done some very important things! Yes, I guess I have. I feel much better now. Thanks, Teacher. You're welcome, Darlin'. Don't let the devil tell you that you're not important. God's Word says you are! I won't. Good-bye everyone. Good-bye Darlin'. 37

33 STORY GOD HAS TIME FOR SALLY "Mommy, could I talk to you about something?" "What is it now, Sally?" "Well, I wanted to talk to you about a new doll." "Sally, I can't get you a new doll right now. You go on and play." "But Mother... " "Right now, Sally. I don't have time to listen. I have work to do." 4 Sally hung her head and walked out of the room. She had only wanted to talk to her mother for just a minute. Sally's old doll, Cindy, was beginning to fall apart. Sally thought maybe her mother would have some work for her to do so she could make money to buy a new doll. But now h er mother wouldn't listen. Her mother was just too busy. Sally walked into the living room. There sat her dad reading the newspaper. Maybe he would listen. "Dad." "What is it, Sally?" "Can I talk to you a minute about a new doll?" "Well, Sally, I'm trying to read this newspaper. Can we talk about this later? I'm busy." Sally walked away. Nobody would listen. Who could she talk to? Sally knew her mom and dad loved her, but, sometimes. they were too busy and didn't have time to talk. She needed someone that she could talk to at any time. Someone who was never too busy to listen. Suddenly, Sally remembered her Sunday School lesson about Jesus and the children. Jesus always had time to talk to people - even to children. Sally went to her bedroom and knelt beside her bed. She had a long talk with Jesus. Afterwards, she felt so relieved. Sally had just had a talk with her best friend! One week passed and the mailman brought a package to the door. "It's for you, Sally." Sally's mother was puzzled because the package was from Uncle Bob and he never sent presents except on birthdays, and it surely wasn't Sally's birthday. Sally opened the package and inside was a new doll! A brand new doll just for her. "You must have prayed for that doll," said Mother. Sally smiled and took her new doll outside to play. She thanked Jesus that He was never too busy to listen to children.